Bird feeder with modular bird seed reservoirs

Abstract

A bird feeder wherein a housing includes a plurality of modular hopper elements with a floor underlying and supporting the hopper elements and a roof overlying the hopper elements, the hopper elements including impermeable side walls juxtaposed to form a hopper assembly of maximum capacity and minimum footprint and a front wall with feed apertures to enable birds to access bird food within the hopper element. Each hopper may be selectively removed and replaced without disturbing the other elements. In one embodiment, the hopper elements form segments of an inverted frustoconical hopper assembly which may be selectively and individually removed from the bird feeder without disassembling the housing. In another embodiment, each of the hopper elements is rectangular in transverse cross-section, and comprises a pair of spaced, generally triangular, parallel impermeable side walls interconnected by a pair of spaced, generally rectangular, front walls angled from the upper portion of the hopper element to the lower portion thereof, with the parallel impermeable side walls of adjacent hopper elements being juxtaposed in the housing and a plurality of feed apertures defined in each of the angled front walls adjacent the lower end thereof. A seed catcher may be provided underlying each hopper element with a depression formed in the floor of the housing to position the seed catchers.

1. A bird feeder comprising a housing and a plurality of modular hopper elements forming a hopper assembly, said housing including a base underlying and supporting said hopper elements and a roof overlying said hopper elements, said base and said roof being interconnected with a central post, each hopper element including a floor and upstanding walls together defining an internal cavity for receiving a quantity of bird food, said walls including at least one substantially flat impermeable side wall and at least one curved front wall including at least one feed aperture through which birds may access bird food within said cavity, each of said hopper elements being tapered from an enlarged upper portion to a smaller lower portion to form a frustoconical hopper assembly with each of said hopper elements defining a segment of said frustoconical hopper assembly, a substantially flat impermeable side wall of each hopper element being juxtaposed to a substantially flat impermeable side wall of at least one other hopper element in an assembled relationship of said hopper elements, and said curved front walls of said hopper elements when side by side and taken together in said hopper assembly forming a substantially circular horizontal cross-section, said base including a horizontally extending portion and an upstanding peripheral wall that define a seed catcher for catching bird feed falling from the feed apertures and each hopper element being removably coupled to said central post on an individual basis so as to be cleaned, refilled and/or replaced without removing any other hopper element from said housing and without disassembly of any other component of the bird feeder. 
   
   
     2. The bird feeder of  claim 1  wherein each hopper element includes a pair of impermeable side walls interconnected by said curved front wall, said substantially flat impermeable side walls of each hopper element being juxtaposed to an impermeable side wall of two adjacent hopper elements in said hopper assembly. 
   
   
     3. The bird feeder of  claim 2  wherein said hopper assembly includes three hopper elements, each hopper element including two substantially flat impermeable side walls extending at about 120 degrees to each other, and a curved front wall, said side walls of each hopper element connected at inner edges thereof by an arcuate wall having a concave side and a convex side, said concave side facing said central post so as to curve around said post such that substantially all points along said concave side are generally equidistant from said post. 
   
   
     4. The bird feeder of  claim 3  further including a plurality of feed apertures in said curved front wall defining feed ports. 
   
   
     5. The bird feeder of  claim 3 , wherein said central post has a support ring thereon that includes a connection element for each of said plurality of hopper elements, each hopper element having a corresponding connecting portion complementary in shape with said connection element to couple said hopper element to said support ring, said connection element and said connecting portion coupling said hopper element to said ring at only an inner shoulder portion of said hopper element adjacant said concave side, said concave sides of said arcuate walls generally abutting an outer edge of said support ring. 
   
   
     6. The bird feeder of  claim 5 , wherein said support ring is carried near an upper end of said post and further comprising an enlarged spacer ring carried by said post near a lower end thereof and abutting against said concave side of said arcuate walls. 
   
   
     7. A bird feeder comprising a housing and a plurality of modular hopper elements each having an open top and an open bottom, said housing including a base underlying and supporting said hopper elements and a roof overlying said hopper elements, said base and said roof being interconnected with a central post carrying a connecting member near an upper end thereof, each hopper element being provided with an individually removable floor piece for closing said open bottom and an individually removable lid for closing said open top, each hopper element including upstanding walls which, together with said removable floor piece, define an internal cavity for receiving a quantity of bird food, said walls of each hopper element defining a segment with a curved front wall including at least one feed aperture through which birds may access bird food within said cavity, and an inner wall of each of said hopper elements being configured to fit cooperatively with said connecting member, a side wall of each hopper element being juxtaposed against a side wall of at least one other hopper element, when assembled, in which said plurality of hopper elements together form a frustoconical shape tapering downwardly with an arcuate outer circumference, each hopper element with at least said individually removable floor piece in place being removable from said housing to be cleaned, refilled and/or replaced without removing any other hopper element from said housing. 
   
   
     8. The bird feeder of  claim 7 , wherein said hopper assembly includes three hopper elements, each hopper element including two side walls extending at about  120  degrees to each other. 
   
   
     9. The bird feeder of  claim 7 , wherein each hopper element has two side walls with inner edges of said side walls being connected by an arcuate wall that faces said connecting member on said central post, a curvature of said arcuate wall generally corresponding and in abutment with outer edges of said connecting member. 
   
   
     10. The bird feeder of  claim 9 , wherein said hopper elements are secured to said connecting member only by an inner shoulder portion of said inner wall near said upper end. 
   
   
     11. The bird feeder of  claim 10 , wherein said connecting member includes a connection element for each of said plurality of hopper elements, the shoulder portion of each hopper element including a corresponding connecting portion shaped to be complementary with said connection element to secure said hopper element to said connecting member. 
   
   
     12. The bird feeder of  claim 9 , further comprising an enlarged spacer mounted on said central post and shaped as a ring with an outer circumference substantially equal to an outer circumference of said connecting member. 
   
   
     13. The bird feeder of  claim 9 , wherein a lower portion of each hopper element defines a terminal foot portion, said base wholly encompassing said terminal foot portion and including complementary-shaped wells, each well slidably receiving one of said foot portions of said hopper elements therein, said foot portions and said wells being generally cylindrical, said arcuate inner wall of said hopper element extending through said foot portions to create a concave arcuate portion in said generally cylindrical foot portion. 
   
   
     14. The bird feeder of  claim 7 , wherein a lower portion of each hopper element defines a terminal foot portion, said base wholly encompassing said terminal foot portion and including upstanding portions defining complementary-shaped wells, each well slidably receiving one of said foot portions of said hopper elements therein. 
   
   
     15. The bird feeder of  claim 14 , wherein said base includes a horizontally extending portion and an upstanding peripheral wall that define a seed catcher for catching bird feed falling from the feed apertures, said complementary-shaped wells being defined within said horizontally extending portion so as to be surrounded by and spaced from said upstanding peripheral wall. 
   
   
     16. The bird feeder of  claim 14 , wherein said foot portions and said wells are generally cylindrical. 
   
   
     17. A bird feeder comprising a housing and a plurality of modular hopper elements, said housing including a base underlying and supporting said hopper elements interconnected with a roof overlying said hopper elements, each hopper element including a floor and upstanding walls that together define an internal cavity for receiving a quantity of bird food, a front wall of each hopper element being curved and including at least one feed aperture through which birds may access bird food within said cavity, a side wall of each hopper element being juxtaposed against a side wall of at least one other hopper element when assembled and with said curved front walls forming a generally circular horizontal cross-section, said juxtaposed side walls being substantially flat and a lower portion of each hopper element tapering downwardly to define a terminal foot portion, said base including a horizontally extending portion and an upstanding peripheral wall that define a seed catcher for catching bird feed falling from the feed apertures, said horizontally extending portion having a series of complementary-shaped wells spaced from said upstanding peripheral wall that slidably receive and individually surround respective hopper element foot portions, each of said hopper elements being separately supported at said foot portion by a respective well and separately connected at a top thereof to an upper portion of said housing so that each hopper element is individually removable from said housing to be cleaned, refilled and/or replaced without disassembly of any other component of the bird feeder or removal of any other hopper element from said housing. 
   
   
     18. The bird feeder of  claim 17 , wherein said foot portions and said wells are generally cylindrical.